Firestormm
Senior Member
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- Cornwall England
They really need to study immune responses to the rituximab. They need good baseline tests of immune function and then what exactly changes in those who respond and those who do not. Hopefully, they can tease out some cohorts and also what type immune dysfunction responds to rituximab.
If they can decipher what immune signatures respond, then they can spare those patients who will not respond from exposure to the drug. This is not a harmless drug and they are talking about using it repeatedly for possibly years.
I agree. I am not happy at the thought that a drug like this might be 'thrown' at anyone and everyone with this diagnosis - especially this diagnosis - on a 'sink or swim' basis. I am sure it won't be but very little has yet to be forthcoming from the original authors about why they think those that responded did so. It is a critical nut to crack. If ME is to be established firmly as an autoimmune condition then it must be better explained. Hopefully, this is what will come out of the next publication. Hopefully it won't simply be a repeat of the first. Although a repeat would be nice but you see what I mean